Forward. By definition, the word represents movement, progress, direction – all of which are qualities embodied within organizations throughout the Sport for Development sector. For SportForward it also represents the movement they’ve helped to create over the past 25 years by providing sports programming for communities in-need in 65 countries around the globe. SportForward’s programs use sport as a developmental tool to address key issues in education, health & hygiene, gender and disability awareness & inclusion, and peace building. As these issues continue to be challenges found around the world, their programs have reached thousands of youth and adults, and worked to bridge the divide and foster stronger communities.

We asked SportForward for some perspective on where they’ve been over those 25 years, where the sector is headed and what we can do collectively to keep moving, forward.

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We're kicking off 2016 with a simple message of togetherness. While "TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More" may be a worn out sports cliche to some, for those of us who work in the Sport for Development & Nonprofit Sports sector it is our lifeblood. It's at the core of everything we do. Thousands of organizations that get people out on the court, field, water, track or trail each day don't do this alone - they rely on staff, volunteers, partners, donors, board members, sponsors and countless others who all believe sport can change the world.

This year, lets build your team - adding new faces, creative ideas and fresh perspectives will give your organization a huge boost. And lets work as a community, because we are definitely stronger together than we are apart.

While the past few days have been difficult, the power of sport continues to rally those like us who maintain that a ball can change the world. The England vs France friendly showcased how sport can foster solidarity and brotherhood. The upcoming "El Classico" this Saturday should also provide fans a chance to enjoy the beautiful game for just that - something beautiful. We wanted to share several great soccer for social change related events which are happening over the next few weeks. Please take a quick spin through the links below and join us in celebrating the power of soccer as a force for good in the world. Game on!

Sports and Social Change and Social Enterprise Alliance Los Angeles are excited to announce an event at the Patagonia store in Santa Monica, coinciding with the premiere of "Jumbo Wild" which outlines a Canadian community's fight to keep their land clear of developers and open to native people.

Deep in the wilds of British Columbia lies a rugged valley – cherished alpine backcountry that deserves permanent protection. At the headwaters of the Columbia River, Jumbo Creek cascades out of deep snowpack, past crumbling glacial ice, wildflowers, and grizzly tracks. The Jumbo Valley has long been revered for its beauty, and to the Ktunaxa Nation, it is known as Qat’muk, home of the grizzly bear spirit. Part of an important international wildlife corridor, the Jumbo Valley is one of only two areas in North America where grizzly bears can freely roam between Canada and the U.S.

But, for nearly 25 years, local people - First Nations, conservationists, backcountry skiers and snowboarders - have fought a large-scale ski resort in Jumbo. As developers face environmental assessments, political roadblocks, and local outcry, many are asking: What more will it take to keep Jumbo wild for good?

Immediately following the film SEA Los Angeles will host a Q&A with representatives from Patagonia to explore the company's deep commitment to sustainable business practices, their leadership role in programs such as 1% for the Planet, and recent initiatives including their investment in social enterprise brand Bureo Skateboards through their new fund "$20 Million and Change" and the Patagonia Works program.

If you're a avid skier, snowboarder, hiker, or just love the outdoors, this is the can't miss event of the season. Jumbo Wild is an important film carrying the message that development, industry and money should never supersede environmental responsibility, preservation of animal habitats and the traditions and cultures of native people.

Join us this November 5th in Santa Monica and let's keep Jumbo Wild!

WHENNovember 05, 2015 7pm - 10pm

WHEREPatagonia Santa Monica1344 4th StSanta Monica, CA 90401

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Business leaders know about Simon Sinek. But I doubt a lot of nonprofit leaders do. And they should.Sinek's TED Talk "Start With Why" gets to the core of what nonprofit orgs excel at in the field - why they do what they do - but have difficulty at times communicating through marketing, social media and publicity.

As you watch this clip, reflect on the "why" behind your nonprofit sports program. Because as you'll hear loud and clear in this presentation, "people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." Just replace "buy" with "donate to" and the message here should resonate.

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After a very busy summer with several large scale events here in the Western US, we are full speed ahead on a big idea. Very big. Something that will provide every nonprofit sports organization out there with support for fundraising, capacity building, programming, marketing and much more.

In order to make this big idea work, we need your insights on how your organization makes its mark on the Sport For Development / Nonprofit Sports community. Please take 2 minutes to fill out this quick 6 question survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3C53BJL The survey results will be a huge help in getting our plans together to offer you the right tools and key partners to succeed.

And just as a reminder, throughout September I'm offering Open Office Hours, free one-on-one Marketing & PR consulting. Bring me your toughest questions about marketing, public relations, social media, events, cause campaigns, finding corporate partners, or we can simply brainstorm on current challenges or a new idea. And yes, this is completely free.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I'll get you all of the details. An idea from an Open Office Hours call I had earlier this year with a Nonprofit Sports Org led to an instant bump in donations for them. While I can't promise results like that every time, let's dive in and see what we can come up with!

If you're involved with a Sport for Development or Nonprofit Sports Organization please click the survey link below:

Thank you!

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I've been a long time subscriber to the Daily OM newsletter and this week there was a great post worth sharing. It points out how being "for" someting rather than "against" draws tremendous power and momentum to drive change. Something we should all consider as we continue on the path of using sports as a platform FOR social change...

Always Be for SomethingWhen you support a cause, whether your support is active or passive, you contribute to the optimism that fuels all affirmative change. Optimistic thoughts energize people, giving them hope and inspiring them to work diligently on behalf of what they believe in. Being for something creates a positive shift in the universe, which means that neither you nor those who share your vision will have any trouble believing that transformation on a grand scale is indeed possible. To be against something is typically easy, as you need only speak out in opposition to it. Standing up for something is often more challenging, because you may be introducing an idea to people that may scare them on a soul level.

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Our friends at All Sports United and UCLA Anderson School of Business are producing a dynamic full day conference June 17th at UCLA titled “Sports With A Purpose” featuring well known athletes and sports personalities as well as experts in philanthropy and technology.

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A big thanks to LaFern Cusack and ESPN LA 710 for having me on the radio this past weekend to talk about using sports as a platform for social good. LaFern is the long time host and producer of ESPN LA’s public affairs show "The Experience” where she dives into a wide range of topics at the intersection of sports and society, locally as well as a nationally.

I know that most of you are not in Washington, DC but I would like to make you aware of an event I am organizing this Wednesday evening in DC called "Georgetown Sports Doing Good" - a chance to learn about and celebrate some of the great work being done in the area of sports and social responsibility, including that being done by those from Georgetown. There will also be a reception before and after the panel discussion.

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History is being made in a few weeks by quite a few women who are anything but well behaved as the Artemis "Women in Action" Film Festival makes its debut in Los Angeles this month, highlighting action films with female lead roles.

Think about it for a second - how many action movies have you seen with women in the lead role? Aliens, Kill Bill 1 & 2, Terminator 2 & 3, The Hunger Games movies, Salt, Avatar, Lucy, Divergent. Should I continue? Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Wanted, the Underworld films, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Ok, you get the point. These are all dynamite action films AND solid box office draws - female led action films generated over $5 billion since 2010.

The inaugural Artemis Women in Action Film Festival will open Friday April 24, 2015 at the Laemmle Playhouse 7 in Pasadena, CA. The 3-day film fest (April 24-26) will feature 50 narrative, documentary, animated and short films that highlight women in action roles.

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For those of you in the LA area, please join me on Wed 9/16 for a great event exploring the intricacies of creating Sports and Nonprofit Partnerships. PIRATES (Print, Interactive, Radio And Television Society) has put together a great panel of experts who will speak about how Nonprofits can work with pro and college teams, athletes and sports media to develop strong partnerships that support awareness and fundraising initiatives.

PIRATES, the Print Interactive Radio and Television Educational Society, is dedicated to help build non-profit community connections to help get their message out about their organizations. Monthly programs feature topics on media opportunities, public relations and marketing, development, and partnerships to help build networking opportunities and resources.

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While the Los Angeles Dodgers opened their 2015 season with big W thanks to some new faces, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation will open their 2015 in a few weeks with a new event - the inaugural Blue Diamond Gala on Thursday April 16th.

The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation has undergone a complete transformation in recent years. New ownership of the franchise brought with it a chance to retool the much maligned Dodgers Dream Foundation into a new entity, with a clear focus and strong dedication to support community based programs in LA for children and families in need around 3 key pillars: Sports & Recreation, Education & Literacy, Health & Wellness. The Foundation's efforts include building new baseball fields across the southland and support for a wide array of education and health programs with the LA Fund for Public Education, Vision to Learn, Union Rescue Mission and others.

To support all of these efforts, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation is hosting their first annual Blue Diamond Gala, a fundraising event honoring local programs including the Jackie Robinson Foundation and LA84 Foundation, and featuring a performance by soul sensation Aloe Blacc. And your host for the evening? This is LA and these are the Dodgers, so who better than sports legend and Dodgers owner Earvin "Magic" Johnson. And no LA Dodgers event would be complete with Tommy Lasorda and Vin Scully, so count them in as well.

For tickets and information on Blue Diamond Gala sponsorships please visit www.dodgers.com/gala. And stay tuned for a big year from the LA Dodgers Foundation as they look poised for a major comeback in city that loves a winner and certainly loves its Dodgers.

I'm thrilled to share news about a research project I recently kicked off at UCLA Anderson to get a complete profile of the "who/what/where" in Adaptive Sports. This is such an important category in the nonprofit sports sector and it's been a challenge for all involved to know just how big this community is and who these athletes are.

Working with a team of MBA students from the UCLA Anderson chapter of Net Impact - a global professional organization in the social impact space - we're designing an "Adaptive Sports Athlete Index" which will help define the national scope and reach of the Adaptive Sports community for potential funders. Adaptive Sports is a highly fragmented community and there's often overlap between multiple programs and their participants, which makes it hard to gather comprehensive data on the size of this category. We believe having an accurate profile of the entire adaptive sports landscape will support everyone's efforts to engage with potential sponsors and corporate partners so these nonprofit programs can secure the necessary financial, in-kind, volunteer and capacity building support needed to grow. The Adaptive Sports Athlete Index will be conducted over the next 12 months, with a final report distributed in early 2016 that accurately identifies the “who/what/where?” of the participants, and “how much?” in regards to economic impact this community controls.